south bebnd lathe offer $$ ????

The neighbor is having a rummage sale and in the rummage sale is a southbend 10x40 open bed lathe. it is 3 phase and comes with 3 and 4 jaw chuck, quick change, tool post, 4 way tool post, collets. and a couple of extra things... he was using it for gunsmithing and needed a bigger bed. the ways are also worn. he is asking $1500. this seems high kind of like an E gay price. what should I offer???

Thanks

 

Seems high to me for a lathe with worn ways and it's 3 phase. I'd probably pass.

 

How badly worn are the ways? If it will still hold the tolerance you need, I'd scoop it up. Still better than a new Chink lathe at the same price. Show up with a grand in one pocket, but have the other five handy just in case.

 

Sounds like a great deal to me if it is in good shape.
Running a 3-phase on 220 is easy if you buy a converter box for less than a hindred.

 

I paid 900 for my 10" South Bend 20 years ago. With out stuff, only an old fashioned tool post, 4 jaw independent and a faceplate.
You will not regret a small SB lathe. It's the most used machine tool I have.

Frank

 

If you can see visable wear on the ways pass. $2500 will get you a new Jet with same acc.

 

It all depends on how worn the ways are. If they just look a bit worn, but it still holds tolerance, especailly for small hot rod parts you might turn, I'd say that $1500 is a steal. Three phase with a converter is quite efficient electrically so don't worry about that.
I paid $3k for my 1959 Cincinnati 4 years ago and have NEVER regretted it - it replaced a JET that was not very good.

 

Ouch!

 

If the ways are badly worn.........pass. Check out the local school district auctions of surplus metal shop equipment as lots of the old indusctrial arts shops are being shut down.

 

Jet or any other Chinese tools SUCK compared to an old Southbend, or any other early tools, be they U.S., British, or German. I have had both. You don't have to be a machinist to tell the difference, I have a bucn of very old machinst' tools and instruments, just holding one in your hand will make you want to throw a brand new China tool in the trash.

 

$1500 is actually a steal. If the bed ways aren't visibly worn and the threading mechs. all work and hold tolerance. Go for it.

 

Been messing with lathes since I was 13. I would only own a Logan, or South Bend. Got a 6" Lodan in the garage, and an 8" Logan here in the shop for tool room use. The one in the shop is minimum 50 years old, and still hold tolerance. If there is less than 1/2 turn slop in the dials, $1500 is a gift. You are getting $1500 worth of tooling with a free lathe!! I wouldn't have a jap or chink lathe if you paid me to take it. Opinion of someone who's been in the business 48 years.

 

I gave my China lathe and mill to a friend. I should have gave them to some asshole I don't like.

 

I sold one like that with both chucks for $400.oo four years ago. That 400 would buy more than 400 gallons of gas then so it would be more like $2000.oo of todays dollars. If you have a use for it buy it. We hardly ever used ours and i sold it to a friend and can go over there and use it whenever i need to. OldWolf

 

Sometimes you get lucky. I bought a used mill-drill for $700; he said,"they sell for twice that new, and I'll throw in that junky old lathe for free." Turned out to be a Southbend. One of the few good deals I've had the good fortune of getting.

 

Are you sure the ways are worn? It could just be that the gibs need to be adjusted.

 

Most likely a fair price no steal but it's close by and no rigging costs involved.

 

The one thing nobody mentioned is "IT"S RIGHT NEXT DOOR!!!!!!" Shipping one or driving anywhere to pick one up is going to add a lot to the price of one you find somewhere else, plus unless you can look at it first you won't know what you are getting. And your neighbor will probably help you move it too. Offer him less and you'll probably get it.

 

Saw this on the Indianapolis Craig's List today.
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Enco 10x24 metal lathe - $800 (Eaton)

<HR>Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2008-07-17, 9:28AM EDT



Enco 10" x 24" metal lathe, 220 volt single phase 1 hp
Includes 3 jaw chuck, 4 jaw chuck, face plate, steady rest, 4 way tool post, tool box, the manual, and the bench it's mounted on.......

$800 firm

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The Southebend costs twice as much but it's three times the machine.

 

South Bend is a GOOD machine. We still use them in the navy. I have one in the engineroom on my submarine. I wish i had room for one in my garage.

 

Park the wife's car outside.

 

Dude, I definetly don't have a wife, and a shoebox ford, 3 toolboxes, a workbench, half a model A and some shelves full of parts and motors take up all the space. And the girlfriends car lives in the driveway behind the rest of the A and my daily 64 C10.

 

Sounds like my garage.

 

Sounds decent to me,

 

I've owned several 9,10 and 10K's over the years and find them to be nice little machines. A lot of the price seem to be availability in the area you live, 1500 might be a little high but it has some tooling. I have found the best advice on what to look for at www.mermac.com it might change your mind on wear.

 

For that alone, I would pass.

 

Just knowing that this guy has been using it for gunsmithing tells me it will do anything "hot rod wise" you'll ask of it. Like said, it's right next door, read, minimum $500 savings just in moving it.
Another thing, it won't ever be worth less than what you pay today where as the import stuff you might not be able to give away when you want to move on. Of course that could all go out the window with P. T. Barnum's quote: "There's a sucker born every minute"

Frank

 

10" x 40" sounds like an odd size.

10" x 36" maybe?

The 36" or 40" measures what you can swing between centers.

There are methods to work around worn ways . . . most times they're not worn all that badly.

The South Bends seem to be smooth running little guys.

Like blown 41 says, the slop may be due to misadjusted gibs.

You'd be surprised at how many home shop lathe owners have never properly leveled their lathes or adjusted the gibs.

If it came to it, with a 10" swing you could easily run it with a 3/4-1 HP single phase capacitor start motor.

I ran my first 12" x 36" lathe with a 1/2 HP motor until I could swing a new 1HP.

You can find good motors in the 3/4-1 HP range on roof top air conditioners for not a whole lot of $$ and most times free if you get there at the right time.

 

Hey, thanks. While I'm at it, I'll sell my Deuce and buy a Prowler.

A South Bend lathe will last for generations. I've found that the only real limitations of the bench models is the size of the hole through the spindle.

Dave
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